1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-sensitive material containing a light-sensitive high molecular weight compound having a novel structure which undergoes a reduction in solubility or is rendered insoluble upon irradiation with light or an electron beam, to a method for forming images using this light-sensitive material, and to a process for the synthesis of the reactive high molecular weight compounds. More particularly, the present invention relates to photosensitive high molecular weight compounds containing furanacryloxy groups in the molecule.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, high molecular weight compounds which undergo a reduction in solubility or which are rendered insoluble by the action of light or an electron beam have been studied. Detailed descriptions of such are given in the literature (e.g., see Kosar; Light-Sensitive Systems, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1965), and Schonbergs; Photochemistry of Organic Synthesis, Kodansha, Tokyo (1971) ). Among these studies, photodimerization-type high molecular weight compounds having a cinnamic ester structure ##STR1## as the light-sensitive group have been well studied and are partly put into practice.
A light-sensitive group which is known to have a far higher sensitivity than the cinnamic ester group is a furanacrylic ester group ##STR2## High molecular weight compounds having this structure have been synthesized using a high polymer reaction and have been actually confirmed to possess high sensitivity. (For example, see M. Tsuda; J. Polymer Sci, A - 1, 7, 259 (1969), and Nishikubo, Tomiyama, Maki, and Takaoka; High Polymer Chemistry, 29, No. 305, 295 (1972) )
On the other hand, as a result of various investigations to obtain a highly sensitive compound which undergoes a reduction in solubility or is rendered insoluble by the action of light or an electron beam and which is suitable for use as a light-sensitive element of light-sensitive materials, i.e., a compound which contains therein light-sensitive groups in an extremely high proportion, a compound in which the proportion of the light sensitive groups can be freely controlled and a compound to which various properties can easily be imparted, the inventors have discovered the fact that a high molecular weight compound having at least 3 mol % of the repeating structural unit which contains the furanacrylic ester structure and which is represented by the following general formula (I) or (II) has the above-described properties.